Competition Barbeque

Competition barbeque is a lot of work. Don’t get me wrong…it’s hugely satisfying when you win and there is always the thrill of the competition but to get to that place takes a good deal of effort.

I spent this past weekend with my neighbor, George, and his team (“Who Are Those Guys”) at the Beltway BBQ Showdown at the Show Place Arena and Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. The weather was great on Sunday and more than 40 teams competed.

These guys deserve every bit of recognition that comes with this popular sport. The logistics of getting all of your “tools of the trade” in place, the purchase of meat, the trip to the site all require a significant investment in time and money. I gained a great appreciation for competition barbeque in seeing what they have to do to get their entries into the judges on time.

George’s team took a fourth in chicken and a fifth in ribs which is pretty damn good. The team from Owings Mills, MD, 3 Eyez BBQ, took Grand Champion.

I think that I would like to do it again but let’s wait until next year.